Tuolumne County, California
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Tuolumne County, California ranks 1,110th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 1,110th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 58.8 · moderate county distress, 25th in California.
- 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 94th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 179 — national median 126, ranked at the 70th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Disability rate at 21% — national median 16%, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 38-point drop to Mono County marks where the California distress corridor ends.
Tuolumne County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.
The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Tuolumne County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Tuolumne County's value shown alongside CA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Tuolumne | CA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 33 · Rank 2,150 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 34th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 5% | 5% | 39th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 18% | 20% | 23% | 25th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 51 · Rank 1,495 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 18% | 18% | 23% | 32nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 179 | 119 | 126 | 70th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 90 · Rank 147 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 27% | 21% | 87th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 27% | 25% | 18% | 94th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 82 · Rank 548 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 82nd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 38 · Rank 2,060 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 14% | 16% | 18% | 28th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 21% | 13% | 16% | 86th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 10% | 13% | 14% | 24th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 6% | 8% | 27th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Tuolumne County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
SONORA, Calif. — Tuolumne County ranks 1,110th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 58.8 out of 100 gives Tuolumne a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,109 counties rank more distressed. Within California, Tuolumne ranks 25th of 58 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Tuolumne. 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tuolumne County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How does Tuolumne County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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